Forgotten Memories
by Drina
Summary: Makino has amnesia and she only remembers one person: Junpei.... Chp 6 added!
1. Who am I?

Forgotten Memories

 NA: Thoughts in (  )

Disclaimer: All the Hana Yori Dango characters are owned by Yoko Kamio__

 Chapter 1: Who am I 

In the warehouse, Tsukushi had thrown herself in front of Tsukasa just as Junpei threw the chair at him. There was a look of horror on Junpei's face as he realized that the chair was going to hit Tsukushi but there was nothing he could do. Inevitably, the chair impacted on the back of Tsukushi's head. The last things that she heard before she slipped in unconsciousness were two urgent voices, one shouting, "Makino!" and the other, "Makino-sempai!"

****************

( Everything is so white here, and peaceful…I don't want to wake up. Everything up there is so confusing and tiring, I just want a peaceful life, like this place I am in; a place to rest and relax. Who and what I am has no relevance here. In this place, I have no identity at all…I like it. But I feel some force pulling me away from this place. NO! I don't want to go. I don't want the life I had before…I want to be…free )

*******************

"She's moving her hand! Call the doctor!" A male voice called out. The door slammed and there was the sound of running. She gradually opened her eyes, the bright light causing her to squint. Three anxious faces looked down at her. When they saw that she had opened her eyes, their faces immediately beamed. Then one of them got angry and yelled at her, "You idiot! What did you think you were doing, jumping in front of me like that! You could have been badly hurt…Oh wait, you ARE badly hurt. You fool!" Then he threw his arms around her and whispered into her hair, "Never, never scare me like that again."

"Tsukasa, put her down. She's not well enough for any strenuous actions on your part," the well-modulated tone of a guy intercepted in.

She lifted her head from the worm-haired guy's shoulder and cautiously looked around the room. There were two other guys beside the worm-haired guy, one who had just admonished the worm-haired guy she christened marble-glassed eyed guy, and the other with curly hair down to his shoulders. "Excuse me, but do I know you people?"

All of them, with the exception of Tsukushi, dropped their jaws.

******************

The doctor trembled in fear, not due to the fact that he was hanging one feet off the ground, and it was also not because Mr Doumyouji Tsukasa was banging him against the wall, nor was it the insane anger in his eyes; no, it was all three factors that made him want to pee in his pants. "What do you mean she has amnesia!?" Tsukasa shouted, his spittle all over the doctor's face. "Why can't she remember a darn thing!? You told me that once she got out of the coma, she would be alright, but SHE'S NOT! I especially flown you in from America to treat her, and what happen? She lost her mind!"

"Not exactly lost her mind, Mr Doumyouji," the doctor offered timidly. "Just her memories."

"Just her memories hmmm? Just her memories! Well her memories are the most important part of her, aren't they?" Tsukasa's voice became increasingly louder. Rui, at the side was trying to calm him down, "Tsukasa, calm down. It doesn't help Tsukushi at all with you behaving like this. Now, let the doctor down and see how he can help us. After all, he's the world's renowned brain specialist." His demeanor was like trying to sooth an enraged beast down, which was what Tsukasa was like at the moment.

Tsukasa reluctantly put the doctor down and the doctor immediately collapsed onto the chair. He wondered if the financial benefits were worth the constant threats that Doumyouji had given him the past week that Makino had been in a coma. He collected himself then using his most professional voice, told the two men in the room, "Head injuries are usually the most tricky to predict. This is especially when the person is in a coma and we have no idea what is happening inside her mind, as in the case of Miss Makino. I would like to say that Miss Makino has been very lucky." When he saw that Doumyouji was going to argue on that fact he quickly continued, "What I mean by lucky is that she has suffered a serious blow to her head and she could become a vegetable or be in a coma for the rest of her life, instead, she only got amnesia, and this amnesia only affects her memories but not her motor functions. In a sense, she got off lightly because she does not have to learn how to walk or even feed herself. She is fine physically, just that there are mental damages. Her memories may or may not ever come back but all of you can try to help her in that area. Bring her to familiar places, talk to her about things that you have done, bring her friends and family to her to talk to her, and maybe, something will evoke her memories."

***************

She looked at herself in the mirror. It was a bit frightening that she could not even recognize her own face. She touched her face hesitantly. The guys that were in her room had said that her name was Makino Tsukushi and she was the girlfriend of the worm-haired guy(who she found out was called Tsukasa). She wondered how that had come to be; she would not have choosen him of her own free will, not just because he had weird hair, he was also aggressive to boot. When he heard her asking who they were all, he immediately gave a big yell and shouted at the doctor that had came into the room. He manhandled the doctor outside to 'talk' to him about the situation. Of course, the weird hair aside, he was quite good-looking but his personality left a lot to be desired. As she was pondering over all these, he and the marble-eyed guy (or Rui as he had introduced himself) came into the room, and immediately held a conference with the two others guys, Akira and Soujiro. Tsukushi strained to hear what was being said but she could not catch a word at all. Then in unison, they turned to look at her and she stirred disquietly under their scrutiny.

She asked haltingly, "Could you tell me about my family?"

The guy named Tsukasa walked to her and sat down at the chair beside her bed. Then he took her hand in his, which she quickly withdrew because she felt uncomfortable of him, being practically a stranger, holding her hand. His eyes darkened but he did not try to take her hand again. He said, "You have a mother, a father and a younger brother. Unfortunately they could not be here with you because your paternal grandfather had fallen sick and they had to go and take care of him. They left you in my care because they know that I will take the absolute care with you." Tsukushi shifted uneasily over the intensity of his words and his tone. She was uneasy with the fact that she was left in the care of a stranger, even though he claimed to be her boyfriend. She was also a bit saddened that she could not even remember her own family.

Just then, the door opened and in walked a blond-hair guy. The F4 had turned to see who it was and Tsukasa's demeanor changed to the aggressive one again. He stood up and walked straight to the guy and demanded, "What do you want? Have you not gotten your revenge? I let you go once because I had done you a great wrong and it evens the score between us. However, Tsukushi, who had not done anything to you, is suffering. So are you here to accept your punishment?"

Tsukushi said one word, "Junpei?"

*******************

AN: How come Makino can remember Junpei? What will be Doumyouji's reaction? All these and more in the next chapter of "Forgotten Memories".  


	2. vote result

Votes result:

Well, an overwhelming number of you have voted for "Forgotten memories". So I'll do that one first. But don't worry, for those who like the Ranma crossover, I'll b doing that too, just as soon as I finish my first fanfic. In the meantime, I'll be moving "The Nerima Wrecking Crew Invades Eitoku" to the Ranma section as I feel that it is more of a Ranma fic than a Hana Yori Dango fic. For those who are interested in reading it, the url is  http://www.fanfiction.net/read.php?storyid=791292.

Once again, thanks for you vote and I promise you, the 2nd chapter of "Forgotten Memories will be up sometime in 2 weeks time."

Drina


	3. Aftermath

Forgotten Memories

Disclaimer: All the Hana Yori Dango characters are owned by Yoko Kamio__

 Chapter 2: Aftermaths 

"Junpei," the name echoed loudly in the silent hospital room. Suddenly, her mind was filled with memories of him,

*flashback*

"Would you be my friend, Makino-sempai?" The nerdy guy with the specs said.

**

"Here are two ants, one representing me and one representing you," then he threw the paper plane into the air, and suddenly her heart did feel lighter, as if she was on the paper plane, flying high up, far away from the pressure around her.

**

He holding her body against him as the camera flashed away; she, the proverbial deer caught in the headlights.

**

"Look out!" a warm body pushed against her body, causing her to fall to the ground, missing the flowerpot that had hit near them.

**

He stood in front of her to protect her from the boys who had been chasing her. When she woke up in his arms, he helped her gently to a bench. She could see the concern and warmth in his eyes….

*end of flashback*

"Junpei!" Makino Tsukushi gasped. Then she tried to get down from the hospital bed.

"Makino! What are you doing? You're not well enough to get out of bed yet!" Doumyouji said, as he held her down on the bed.

Junpei also immediately came forward to calm her down; the rest of the F4 standing around Makino's bed in a defensive stance, ready to attack him if he tried anything funny. She pushed Doumyouji away and then held on to Junpei's hand. She pulled him to her and embraced him, "Thank goodness you're here." Soon, she realised that there was an audience around her watching her every move and she blushed, releasing him from the embrace yet still holding his hands.

There was a turbulence of emotions in Doumyouji as he watched her joyously greeting Junpei. He was hurt that she did not remember him, jealous that she could remember Junpei, the guy who had put her into this situation in the first place, and angry, at Makino for the same reasons.

"Makino," he said in a deceptively calm voice. "How come you remember Junpei?"

"I don't know…I just do…"

"I see…" then he stormed out of the room shouting "I'm gonna kill the doctor!" The F3 looked at each other in silent communication and then Akira rushed out after Doumyouji.

**********

"Please, Mr Doumyouji," the doctor whimpered in a trembling voice. "We can talk through this calmly." He was currently cowering behind the chair as Doumyouji loomed threatening over him. 

"I am very calm!" Doumyouji shouted. "That's why I'm not kicking your butt now! I want answers and I want them now! How come Makino could remember that Junpei but not me!"

"Please let me examine her first before I can give you any answers," no amount of money was worth it was the doctor's verdict but if he abandoned this case, he was afraid of what Doumyouji could do to his career. 

***********

"Well, it seems that Miss Makino has selective amnesia. She must have been undergone a lot of stress and trauma before her accident and apparently she can only remember the more carefree and relaxing things that she had experienced prior to the accident." The doctor's words echoed guiltily in Doumyouji's mind. When he had discussed this issue with the rest of the F3, they had reminded him of what he had 'done' to Makino so far…

_Flashback_

"This is ridiculous!" Doumyouji was off on his rant again, this time with the F3. "The doctor said that Makino remembered Junpei because of the pleasant memories associated with him! Her brain had blocked out all the bad memories. I could understand that…but why did she also forget me!? I mean, we have lotsa pleasant times together right?"

Rui, Akira and Soujiro looked at him with disbelieving look. "Hmmm…Doumyouji," Akira interjected. "I don't know how to put this in the gentle way to you…YOU ARE THE ONE WHO CAUSED HER TO HAVE ALL THOSE UNPLEASANT MEMORIES OF US!" His voice thundered down the empty hospital walkway and a nurse immediately stuck her head out and looked disapprovingly at him, causing him to cringe and whispered, "Sorry. Heehee." He lowered his volume, "You were the one who started the hazing on her in Eitoku." "You tried to get her expelled from school," Soujiro reminded him. 

"Alright! So maybe we did have our bad times, but surely there were good times too." Doumyouji tried to defend himself

"You made her cry," Rui's matter-of-fact tone was the most damning. Doumyouji thought back to all those memories he had of Makino. More often than not, he saw more of her angry faces than her peaceful or happy faces. The worst was the fear in her eyes that fateful day in the school corridor, where he had chased her down, like a predator chasing down its prey…her fruitless struggle against his strength, her resistance, then her passive acceptance…it was horrible, her silent tears streaming down her face as in getting the inevitable over with. It seemed that Rui, Soujiro and Akira were right: he was the one who had made Makino's life miserable… 

_End of flasback_

**He** was the one who had made her life miserable, but he resolved that from now on, he would do everything that he could to make her happy, and then maybe she would remember him and everything would be alright again. With this thought, he drifted off into happy daydreams where he and Makino were having a good time together and she allowing him to hold her hand and…

"What do you think he's thinking about?" a male voice suddenly intruded into him pleasant dreamscape. 

"Maybe Makino."

"Definitely her. Look at his loony grin."

"Oh, Doumyouji, thank you for taking care of me when I was not myself."

"Anything for you my dear, anything for you."

"Let me show you my gratitude with a kiss."

Doumyouji blushed at the playacting of Akira and Soujiro. 'How come they know what I was daydreaming about,' he thought. He immediately went on the offensive, "Keep your minds out of the gutter! Did I ask for you opinion?"

"Woooo, he's blushing. Guess we must have been more perceptive then we know. Isn't that right, Tsukasa?" Soujiro teased him.

Doumyouji blushed even more and then shoved his fists in front of Soujiro's face, "Do you wanna taste of chuckles sandwich?"

"It's knuckles sandwich, Tsukasa," Akira corrected him. He mockingly sighed, "When would you ever learn?"

Doumyouji glared at him and tried to change the subject, "The doctor says that Makino is well enough to be discharged from the hospital. Since her parents are not around, I am thinking of bringing her to my house to recuperate."

"Emm, Doumyouji, won't your mother be coming back for your birthday next Sunday?" Akira asked. Doumyouji replied in the affirmative. Akira continued, "Don't you think that your mum would find it strange that some girl that she don't know about staying at your house?"

Doumyouji considered this and answered, "Well, I could take this opportunity to introduce her to Makino. She would like her."

Hearing this, the F3 groaned. Doumyouji had a bit of a blind spot when it comes to matters concerning his mother. They could remember a childhood incident when they were gathering at Tsukasa's house. His mother had come into the room where they had gathered and she told Tsukasa coldly not to hang around with them too much or his intellect would deteriorate. He had been greatly amused that time but they knew that she really meant what she said.

"Do you think that this would be a suitable time, Tsukasa?" Rui asked. "After all, she could be a bit intimidating." 

"The greatest understatement of the year," Akira muttered to Soujiro who nodded in agreement.

"I guess you're right," Tsukasa reluctantly conceded to Rui. "But where can she go?"

"Well, she could stay at my house." "Or mine," both Akira and Soujiro offered.

Tsukasa vehemently shook his head, his worm-like curls moving as if alive, "No way! Both of you are renewed womanisers. If Makino had her memories, it would be fine, but now that she's all vulnerable and defenceless…"

The F3 sighed in defeat as Doumyouji used another wrong word. "It's renowned not renewed, Tsukasa," Rui corrected him.

An I-could-care-less wave of Doumyouji's hand dismissed this matter.

"Maybe she could stay at my house," Rui proposed. 

"Definitely not!" was Doumyouji's immediate reply. His green-eyed monster was on full alert. He did not want Rui anywhere near Makino, not with Makino's propensity to be attracted to Rui.

"Tsukasa, be reasonable," Akira said. "Where else could she stay? Back at her own house where there would be no one to look after her?"

"Well…"

AN: Sorry for the long delay in uploading this 2nd chapter. I had writer's block. (scolding) Bad block! Bad! Anyway, hope you have enjoyed this chapter. I decided to make this a more interactive kinda story as in you can participate in where you want the story to go! Hope this will make the story more interesting. As you have noticed, I've left a cliffhanger going on as to where she should stay. It's up to you readers to decide where you want her to go. She could go to any of the F4's house, or her own home. Don't forget, there's Junpei waiting at the sidelines too *snigger*. But keep in mind what I have set up, for instance the fact that Doumyouji's mother would be coming back for his birthday. So leave your reviews on how you like the story's progress so far and ur vote on where she should stay. Thanks!


	4. A Total Blank

Disclaimer: All the Hana Yori Dango characters are owned by Yoko Kamio

_Chapter 3: A Total Blank_

"Well," Doumyouji said. "I've decided. Makino shall go to Rui's house. At least with Rui, I know that he'll keep his hands off her. He's got a sense of chivalry." Saying that, he glared at the other two.

"Hey, we've are chivalrous too, you know. What we do to the girls is what they want us to do; we always compile with their wishes," Akira wagged his eyebrows in a suggestive way.

Doumyouji grimaced at that, "Yeah, you continue doing that. But you would not be doing it to my Makino."

"Woooh, did you hear what he said? 'My Makino'," Soujirou ragged Doumyouji.

Doumyouji's face was a permanent red now, "Would you shut up? By the way, if the three of you are out here with me, then Makino is alone in her room…with that bastard, Junpei!" He was off in a flash to 'save' Makino. 

He slammed the door open, expecting Junpei to be performing some nefarious acts on Makino, but it was worse than that: what he saw was Makino and Junpei talking animatedly together. When Makino saw him, she immediately became more guarded, "Ahem, hi, Doumyouji-san. When can I be discharged from the hospital?"

Doumyouji was so jealous that he wanted to shout at Makino but he wanted Makino to be able to trust him so he made a conscious effort to gentle his voice, "Makino, the doctor says that you can be discharged tomorrow."

Her face lightened up, "Good, then I can go home."

"You won't be going home, Makino."

She tilted her head questioning at him, "Why not?"

"First of all, your family is away so if you go back you would be alone in your house with no one to care for you," Doumyouji said.

"I can take care of myself," a hint of the old Makino Tsukushi surfaced.

"I know," Doumyouji tried to pacify her. "But it would make me feel a bit more comforted that there would be someone there to look after you if something happen."

"It would make me feel better too, Makino-sempai," Junpei entered the conversation at this point.

Doumyouji said belligerently to Junpei, "Who cares if it make you feel better? Oh wait, maybe it's your guilty conscience that's bothering you?" 

Junpei jumped up to his feet. The two guys stood feet to feet and glared at each other, then a timid voice interjected, "Excuse me, what does Junpei have to feel guilty about?" They turned to her but before one of them could answer her, a nurse came into the room, "I'm sorry, but visiting hours are over. The patient needs her rest. Please come back tomorrow." With that she bustled them briskly out of the room.

Makino was left alone in the room. She laid back on the bed and contemplated on what had happened that day. She woke up from being in coma for a week and found out that she had lost her memories. Then before she could even come to terms with that, she was bombarded with the presence of the four guys who called themselves Flower 4 or F4, as they're more commonly called. Makino remembered that she had laughed hysterically at that point when the leader of the group proudly introduced themselves as such. And they had thrown such disgruntled looks at her laughter; acting as if being called a flower was a thing to be proud of. She thought to herself that she would never understand guys. 

The F4, a band of guys who acted if they owned the world, or at least Japan. From her conversation with Junpei, it seemed that they do own most of Japan and different parts of the world as well. First, the leader, Doumyouji Tsukasa, the one who claimed to be her boyfriend. Hotheaded, domineering and all too possessive were her immediate thoughts about him. His snake eyes looking so intensely into hers, making her feel so freaked out. She could not deal with him so soon, not with most of her memories gone. And then there was Hanazawa Rui, the quiet guy who just stared at her. His marble eyes were so detached. Yet she felt something stirring within her when she thought of him…Then there were the two jokers Nishikado Soujirou and Mimasaka Akira. Half the time, she took what they were saying with a grain of salt. And the things that they implied about herself and her 'boyfriend', she blushed upon thinking back. Finally… Junpei. He was an enigma yet he seems so open at the same time. He was the only one she could remember.  And that was why she cling to him like a leech. She sighed. Her head felt so tired from all the excitements of the day. She would try not about think anymore. As she drifted off to sleep her mind conjured up distorted memories of Doumyouji and Junpei who were both holding their arms out and calling her to them…

***********

"But I wanna see Tsukushi," a whiny voice awaken her from her slumber. 

"Hush, she's still asleep," the now-familiar commanding voice of one Doumyouji Tsukasa warned.

Then there was a sweet feminine voice asking, "Is she alright, Doumyouji-san?" 

"As well as can be expected. She would be discharged today." Then his voice turned virulent. "What are you doing here again today? I thought you were thick-skinned to turned up yesterday but now that you show up again today, you must be totally brainless."

'Oh no,' Makino thought. 'It must be Junpei. I better intervene before there is bloodshed.' "I'm awake. You can come in," she called out.

The door immediately opened and there were squeals and groans as the people standing outside all tried to be the first to get through the door. She saw three unfamiliar faces today. A boy rushed to her bedside and grabbed up her hand, "Tsukushi, are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm feeling much better, thank you. I'm sorry. I've lost my memories. Could you introduce yourself to me?"

"Makino-sempai, does that mean you do not recognize me as well?" an extraordinary pretty girl asked.

"Sorry, I really can't remember anything or anyone at all."

"Except Junpei," there was a snide whisper from Doumyouji. 

There was an awkward silence around the room. Then the very pretty girl said, "I'm Sakurako."

"Tsukushi, we've known each other since junior high. I can't believe that you have forgotten all about me," the boy who was still holding her hands cried out.

"Hush, Kazuya," the girl who had been quiet until then said. She turned to Makino and said, "Hi Tsukushi-chan, I'm Yuki. Kazuya, you and I were in the same junior high. You also work part-time with me in a confectionary shop."

Makino's mind was in a fluster, trying to assimilate all the information that she had just been given. She felt so troubled: there were so many things that she could not recollect at all and it was terrifying, almost as if she was in a stranger's mind. She caught the attention of the only person she could remember and as he looked at her, he felt as if her eyes were begging him to help her. He said brusquely, "Stop badgering her. Can't you see how's she feeling? She can't recall a thing about any of you at all. And here are you guys trying to push yourselves at her."

Soujirou whispered as if to Rui but in a volume that is audible to everyone, "The pot calling the kettle black."

Rui addressed Junpei coldly, "Why do you persist on coming back? You're the cause of all these trouble in the first place."

"Yeah, well, I'm the only one she knows here," was Junpei's retort.

"Why you!" Doumyouji could not bear it anymore and started to strike out at Junpei. But before he could fit Junpei, he found his arm being restrained by Makino. 

"Stop all this nonsense! Why are all of you so hostile towards Junpei? What has he done?"

And the whole sordid tale was told to Makino.

AN: I've finally finished! **insert insane laughter** Well, I hope you all are not hoping for an update in the near future. That goes for my other fanfic "his true self" (sorry rame). Coz I'm really tied up with sch work this sem. However I would try my best to update bimonthly but I can't really promise much. Sorry. But rest assured, my fics would not be abandoned! Not even if ppl r not interested in it anymore. I would definitely finish up wat I had started. Thanks for all your kind reviews and I hope you would continue to like my work and continue leaving ur reviews behind. They'r the best sorts of fuel 4 any writer, the fact that ppl r reading their story even if it's to say that the story sucks.

Oh yeah, btw, if u'r interesting in joining my fanfic update mailing list, u can leave ur email either at the reviews page or email me at wanderer_27@yahoo.com, subject: fanfic mailing list. Don't worry, the mail fr me will b sporadic at best n there'll b no spam. **grins**


	5. Poll

Hi all,

This is not a new chapter, sorry, but rest assured I'm working chapter 4. What I would like to do here is to conduct an poll. 

Who do you think Tsukushi should end up with in this story? 

Is it gonna be 1) Tsukasa

2) Rui

3) Junpei

4) Akira

5) Soujirou

6) Kazuya

7) None of the above.

Your vote will be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Drina


	6. Heartaches and Battles

Disclaimer: All the Hana Yori Dango characters are owned by Yoko Kamio

_Chapter 4: Heartaches and Battles_

Her brain and heart were in conflict after hearing what had happened: her brain was saying that Junpei is BIG TROUBLE but her heart kept reminding her of his gentleness and his willingness to stand up for her. She looked totally miserable. She stared beseechingly at Junpei, "Please tell me what they are saying are all lies, or at least, that they have exaggerated the facts."

Junpei looked back at her, his eyes full of regrets, and said softly, "I'm sorry."

"Why?" Her heart broke: the only person in the world she trusted right now had made used of her.

"I did it because I wanted to avenge my brother. He suffered so greatly under the bullying of Doumyouji." He glared at Doumyouji. Tsukushi also turned in Doumyouji's direction. He was gloating away, secured in the certainty that Tsukushi would now turn away from Junpei in disgust.

Tuskushi could not stand his smugness and she demanded sharply, "Why are you gloating? Don't you know that all this is your fault in the first place? You, always being such a bully, causing harm to people around you, intentionally and unintentionally!" At this, she ran her fingers through her butchered hair absentmindedly.

Doumyouji's smirk faded away as he looked at her once-beautiful hair. He loved her hair, so straight, so soft and so long; and so, so sweet smelling. He loved to put his face in her hair and just hold her, breathing in her unique sense that could not be bottled; both of them not fighting at all, just enjoying each other's company. However, these moments were often few and far between. What her hair represented now was his fatal flaw: that he always had to come out on top of all situations, regardless of who or what stand in his way. She was right; it was his fault. Yet he could not admit that he was wrong, not in front of all these people. Another two of his flaws: his inability to admit to his mistakes and his foolish pride. So instead of telling her how sorry and terrified he felt when he found out that she had been kidnapped as a lure for him, he sneered, "Didn't I tell you not to get close to him, you stupid woman? All these come to be because you didn't listen to me! You truly are hopeless at judging characters, aren't you?"

Tsukushi, whose self-esteem was at an all-time low, broke down in tears. The others, who had been standing quietly all the while suddenly exploded when she started crying.

"How could you say that to Tsukushi-chan?!"

"Doumyouji-sempai, you really have gone too far this time…"

"Tsukasa, this is not the way you treat women…"

"Please leave me alone…" Tsukushi's quiet voice went unheard in the barrage of voices. When her request went unheard the second time, she could not bear it anymore and screamed, "Get out of my room, all of you! Get out!"

The room suddenly became so quiet, the silence only broken by the harsh breathing and sobbing of Tsukushi. One by one, they filed out of the room, Tsukasa, being the last. He looked back at her, his heart aching inside. Why couldn't he say the right things? Why must he always make her cry?

*************

*Couple of hours later* 

There was a hesitant knock and the girl named Yuki walked in. "Tsukushi-chan, Doumyouji-san sent me to help you pack since you'll be discharged today," she said. Tsukushi looked at her silently, then got out of bed and started packing her stuff. She was relieved to get out of the hospital; maybe if she was in familiar surroundings, like her home, she would be able to kickstart her memories.

'But I still have to face the whole gang outside,' she thought wearily. And indeed, nobody had left the hospital, they were all waiting in the waiting room, either bickering or staring silently into space.

Doumyouji came over to Tsukushi's side and tried to take her bag. She held onto the bag as if it was her lifeline, "I'm not an invalid, you know." Then she turned away from him. He frowned at the sight of her back but wisely kept his mouth shut for once.

Rui then appeared in front of Tsukushi, "Tsukushi, you would be staying with me for a few days."

She gaped at this and asked, "Huh? How come?"

"Your parents and brother are away in Osaka with your sick grandfather, so we thought it would be better for you if there's someone around to take care of you," it was Doumyouji who answered her inquiry.

She glared at both him and Rui, "I can take care of myself! It's not as if I have broken my arms or legs."

"Wow, even when she does not remember anything, her personality is still the same. Guess the hardworking, violent virgin is ingrained in her," Soujirou remarked to Akira, not knowing that his words had traveled over to Tsukushi's ears. 

She blushed upon hearing his description of her, and walked to Soujirou and kicked his shin, "Who ask you anything? And stop making perverted remarks!" Then she turned to Akira who was laughing at Soujirou (he was hopping around on the leg that was not kicked by Tsukushi) "And that goes double for you too, mister! I have no energy to deal with you and Tweedledum's innuendos."

She turned back to continue the battle with Doumyouji and Rui but Doumyouji had already anticipated that and said, "No arguments, Tsukushi. The doctor had released you into my care so I have the right to decide on where you stay or what you can do. Or would you rather continue staying in the hospital."

"Fine," Tsukushi groused, she was sick of staying in the hospital. "I would stay at Rui's house. But no funny stuff, or you'll get what's coming to you." She voiced her threat at Rui. He held his hands up as if to say 'I'm not gonna do anything."

Doumyouji was gratified at hearing that, it seems that along with her memories, she had lost all her previous liking for Rui. Now they can truly start on a new slate. 

AN: Another chapter finally finished. Sorry, if this takes a long time n it seems pretty dull, but it'll get better next chapter! I promise! Lol. Anyway, the votes have been counted but the poll is not concluded yet. It seems though, Tsukasa is a very popular choice with Rui trailing far behind in second place. I'll end the poll the next time I update this story again. Probably in 3 weeks time, coz I'll be working on "His True Self" next. So you still can vote for your fav guy who u want pair with Tsukushi. And pls remember to continue reviewing.

thanx

Tsukasa: 31 votes

Rui: 17 votes

Akira: 3 votes

Kazuya: 1 vote


	7. A Brief Flashback

Disclaimer: All the Hana Yori Dango characters are owned by Yoko Kamio

_Chapter 5: A Brief Flashback_

It was a silent trip to Rui's house in the limousine. Other than the F4, the others had been left behind amidst much protest. In the end, Tsukushi had ended the argument when she said firmly that she did not need an entourage. Of course this did not stop the other 3 members of the F4 who accompanied her to Rui's house: Tsukasa for the obvious reason that he wanted to be with Tsukushi, the other two were following because they wanted to keep on watching the TTR (Tsukasa/Tsukushi/Rui) soap opera.

As they entered Rui's house, Tsukushi was struck with a sense of familiarity. "I was here before…wasn't I?" She asked Rui. He nodded. "What was I here for?"

"We were on a date," Rui said matter-of-factly. 

"What?" She was shocked. "I thought I…I mean…"

"You were not with Tsukasa then," he cut short her stammering remarks. 

Tsukasa, who had been quiet throughout the exchange, felt an overwhelming jealously swelling within him; but for once, he wisely kept his sardonic remarks to himself. He just watched Tsukushi and Rui intensely. 

They walked into a room and Rui said, "Makino, this will be your room for the time you staying here. Is it okay, or would you like to change to another room?" 

Tsukushi looked around. It was spacious and airy, with a queen-sized bed in the middle. There was also a private bathroom. "No, thanks. This is just fine," she replied. 

Rui then beckoned her to follow him out and he walked across the hallway to another room. "This is my room. If you need anything, you can find me here." As Tsukushi's eyes wandered about the room, her sight fell onto the bed and suddenly she had a flashback….

*************

_They had gone to Rui's mansion after their date. It had been a strange date, but she felt so happy being in Rui's presence. It was relaxing and quiet, the polar opposite of the other 'date' she had, where there was a lot of screaming…Suddenly Tsukushi noticed that they were in a bedroom and her heartbeat increased. Was Rui going to…Oh no! He sat down on the bed and patted the place next to him! _

_Timid and uncertain, she sat down beside him. Her heart was beating so fast that it seemed as if the room was filled with its thumping sound. His hand reached behind her and she wondered dizzily if he was going to put his arm around her. Her mind was filled with dread and anticipation both battling for dominance. Then dimly, she realized that he was talking to her._

_"This is a photo taken when we were six. And this…"_

_She turned to him and saw him holding a photo album in his laps. Both his arms were present and accounted for in front of him. She felt strangely disappointed; he was just reaching for the photo album. Yet she was fascinated at the same time. This was the first time where he offered information about his private life without prompting from her. So she must listen intently. _

_It was so peaceful. Gradually his voice stopped and she took the album from his lap and flipped through it herself. As she looked at the photos of the F4 where they grew from boys to teenagers, she noticed Rui was almost always somehow apart from the other three. Sometimes it was a physical separation, where he stood a little distance from the other three huddling together. Other times, it was as if his mind was not with his body as he glazed blankly into the camera._

_Tsukushi saw a movement at the periphery of her sight and she realized that Rui was leaning towards her. Her heartbeat, which had slowed down, immediately quickened up again. Was he going to kiss her? She dare not look up. He leaned closer and closer to her and…she closed her eyes. Let whatever happens, happen._

_Oddly, nothing happened. She opened her eyes and saw Rui sleeping beside her. Again, she felt that same tug of disappointment. But as she looked down into his sleeping face, she was struck by the absolute angelic expression on his face. He looked so content; usually his face would not reflect any emotions at all, but in sleep, he could let down his guard. His hair looked so soft that her hands itched to run themselves through it. She resisted the temptation though. So she just sat there watching sleep, his chest rising and falling in regular cadence. Suddenly she realized how intimate the situation is: her and him alone in a bedroom, together on the bed, and him sleeping beside her. She nervously got up from the bed and quietly left the bedroom…_

_*****************_

"You…me…on the bed…" Tsukushi stammered.

Upon hearing this, Akira and Soujirou immediately teased Rui. "Didn't know that you had it in you, man," Akira nudged Rui at the side. "Yeah, and on the first date too. Couldn't do it better myself," Soujirou winked at Rui. 

Tsukasa also predictably jumped into Rui's face. He bunched up Rui's shirt and pulled him so that they were almost face-to-face. And again predictably, he yelled at Ru, his spittle flying, "How dare you! You bastard! On the first date!"

Rui was unfazed at this commotion. "Nothing happened."

Tsukushi was trying to pull Tsukasa's hands away, "Yeah, you baka! He fell asleep while we were looking at some photos."

"Tss, tss, tss. Just like you, Rui, falling asleep on a date." Both Soujirou and Akira laughed. Then some thing suddenly seemed to dawn on the F4. They all turned to look intensely at Tsukushi, who shifted uncomfortably under their scrutiny. She belligerently remarked, "What?"

Tsukasa let go of Rui and turned to hold her by the shoulders, "You remember!"

"I guess I did…"Tsukushi slowly said. She felt happy yet frightened at the same time. Happy that she was getting back her memories, yet terrified at the same time what her memories would contain: whether she was a good person or not, and whether she was liked or hated by people.

Tsukasa eagerly asked, "So do you remember me?" 

"Nope, I only remember that incident because I saw the bed and found it strangely familiar, and then I had a flashback."

"Visual stimulation must have helped in her recalling the past. So if we bring her around the school and the places she frequents, her memories will be able to come back," Soujirou deduced. 

"Yes, let's do it!' Tsukasa grabbed Tsukushi's hands as if he wanted them to start right then.

"Whoa, hold your horses, Tsukasa. Tsukushi has just been discharged from the hospital and she needs her rest. What's more it's quite late now," Akira stated. "Let's wait until tomorrow, okay?"

"Fine," was Tsukasa's reluctant reply.

"Why don't you all leave?" Rui declared. "Tsukushi and I both need our rest."

Akira and Soujirou chortled on hearing Rui's pronouncement. And Tsukasa's face changed to an angry red. Now that Tsukushi remembered about her and Rui's previous relationship, he did not feel safe leaving her there alone with Rui. So Tsukasa imperially proclaimed that he would stay in Rui's house too, in case Tsukushi needed him, of course.

The other three guys who have known Tsukasa since young, naturally knew why he abruptly decided to stay over at Rui's place. But other than a renewed chortling fit by Akira and Soujirou, and Rui's stoic quietness, there was no comment. Akira and Soujirou made their farewells, and Tsukushi was left behind with the two men…

To break the awkward silence that had befell them after the other two left, Tsukushi uttered inanely, "So Tweedledee and Tweedledum have left the house. Well, that's a load of laugh. I'm hungry, aren't you guys hungry?" Then she gave a nervous titter. She tried to walk out of Rui's bedroom but found her escape impeded by one Doumyouji Tsukasa. He studied her face impassionedly, as if to search out her every secret, and said seriously, "How much do you exactly remember, Tsukushi? Do you remember your liking for Rui?"

AN: Sorry this took longer than expected. Sigh, I seem to be suffering from writing fatigue. It's weird, before my exams were over, I was always thinking of working on my stories, but after my exams were over, I suffered from a lack of motivation: I just laid back and don't do anything at all, except surfing the net and reading other ppl's stories. Do you sometimes feel that way too? Again I must apologize for my laziness. I hope I can get pass this phrase. Yet I seem to have less and less motivation to continue writing. I don't know…anyway, thanks for reading and pls continue to leave ur comments.

Final poll results: Who should Tsukushi be paired up with?

Tsukasa: 38 votes

Rui: 29 votes

Akira: 4 votes

Kazuya: 1 vote

Junpei: 3 votes

Soujirou: 0 vote

So the results clearly show an overwhelming support for a T/T pair-up. However, I would keep my options open by including the second choice too, Rui. Therefore the final pairing is not certain yet, you just have to continue reading to find out who she will end up with. Heehee.


	8. First Foray into Normalcy

AN1: I apologize in advance for the suckiness of this chapter. Reason for suckiness is at AN2 at the bottom of the chapter

Disclaimer: All the Hana Yori Dango characters are owned by Yoko Kamio

Chapter 6: First Foray into Normalcy 

It had been a restless night for Tsukushi and Tsukasa, while for Rui, he slept soundly as usual. Tsukushi and Tsukasa were not able to sleep properly because of what had occurred the night before. Tsukushi did not answer Tsukasa's question at all; instead, she said she was tired, and had immediately escaped to the bedroom that was assigned to her. The unanswered question kept both awake half the night, one trying to remember; the other wondering if she remembered.

But the new day bought itself another problem (at least in Tsukasa's thinking): Junpei. 

He arrived uninvited at Rui's house just when they were having breakfast. The maid bought Junpei to the table. Tsukasa demanded, "What are you doing here? It's as if you're haunting Makino's every move!"

Junpei retorted, "Isn't this a case of the pot calling the kettle black? It seems to me that you are the persistent ghost who refused to leave Makino-sempai alone."

Tsukasa jumped out from his seat and moved as if to attack Junpei, "Why you…"

"Tsukasa," Rui's unfettered voice stopped Tsukasa's advance. "Please, not while we're having breakfast. It's bad for one's digestion." 

Tsukasa reluctantly retreated back to his seat, but not before giving Junpei a heated glare. Junpei ignored him and instead turned to Tsukushi, who was silently pushing her food around the plate. "Good morning, Makino-sempai. Did you have a good night's rest?"

Tsukushi, who seemed to be lost in her thoughts, did not answer him at all. Suddenly she jerked, as if startling herself and became conscious of her surroundings again. "Oh, hello, Junpei, didn't expect to see you this morning," she greeted him.  

He gave her the smile that captivated millions of girls' hearts, "Glad to see you looking well today, Makino-sempai." 

The smile seemed to have no effect on her at all, as she went back to pushing her food around the plate. Then she dropped the fork onto the plate, "I'm done."

Tsukasa saw that she barely had a bite at all and demanded, "Makino, sit down and finish the food on your plate. You barely even started! And you're so skinny!"

Her temper flared up, "You're not my father, you pineapple head, I don't have to listen to you! Why do you always force food on me when I don't want to eat!"

"Hey, you remember!" Tsukasa's anger was overwhelmed by his happiness that Tsukushi was again regaining her memory bit by bit. He enthusiastically went to grab her hand, "Come, let's go to school now and maybe by lunchtime, you will have all your memories back!"

"First time I ever saw Tsukasa so eager to go to school," Rui sardonically remarked.

**************

The Tweedledee and Tweedledum duo, as Tsukushi had privately dubbed them, were waiting for Tsukasa, Rui and Tsukushi at the school gates. However, they were not alone there; there were hordes of girls gathering around those two, hoping to catch at least some of the infamous playboys' attention. But, as soon as the duo saw them, they skillfully dispatched the girls, knowing that Tsukasa would have no patience to deal with the girls' simpering attention.

After exchanging morning salutations, they walked into the school, with Tsukushi kind of in the middle of the F4 group. The F4 had privately discussed Tsukushi's problems in school (read: girls widely jealously of her connection to the F4), and knowing that they could not be with her all the time, they had decided to make an overt show of her being part of their group now; so that no one would have the guts to bully her, at least not openly.

It was a strange sight that the students of Eitoku were treated to: a slight girl in the midst of 4 much taller guys, almost as if they were her bodyguards. However it also conveyed to the school at large that if they mess with Makino Tsukushi, they would be messing with all the F4.

Tsukushi herself found it awkward to be the focus of everybody's attention. She also felt uncomfortable, walking in the middle of the four guys; she felt as if she was in a cage. However she had to walk and could not stop, or she would be bumped by the two guys at her back. She glanced behind and saw that Junpei was walking some distance back from them. She longed to be walking beside him; he was the only one she felt at ease with since she had woken up from the coma.

The walk to her classroom seemed like an endless one in Tsukushi's mind. Finally they reached it and Kazuya's grinning face greeted her, "Tsukushi-chan! I'm so happy to see you again. School had been insufferable without you!"

"Hey you, nouveau riche, do not be so familiar with Makino!" Tsukasa's possessiveness reared its ugly head once again.

Kazuya ignored Tsukasa and said, "Come Tsukushi-chan, let me show you to your seat!"

Tsukasa also entered the class. The whole class silenced when they saw who were in their midst. They watched intently as Tsukasa followed Tsukushi and Kazuya to an empty seat near the back of the class. Tsukasa glared at a boy who was sitting next to the empty seat and the boy hastily got up from his seat and moved to another place. Then as Tsukushi sat down on her seat, he sat next to her. Tsukushi asked in a strange voice, "I thought you were one grade above me, why are you in this class then?"  

Tsukasa imperially replied, "I go to what classes I want to, and nobody dare question my presence."

Tsukushi inwardly groaned; she had thought she could have a respite from Tsukasa when she got to school but now it was not the case. When would she ever be truly alone so that she could slowly digested what had happened to her so far, she despaired.

AN2: I realized that it had been almost half a yr since I updated this. This is because I really have no idea where this fiction should be going. This is apparent in this sucky chapter. So I'm looking for inspiration, and hopefully you, the readers, can provide me with some. Thanks! I'll credit your ideas if I use them. However, expect this story to have a long updating interval period…


End file.
